


empty

by agitatedstates



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Prompto Argentum is a Ray of Sunshine, dad fic, gladio is protective and cries easy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agitatedstates/pseuds/agitatedstates
Summary: “No papa, i know what empty means, I mean Em Tee”Gladio drops the dish he’s cleaning into the sink and it shatters, as he suddenly realises just what she’s asking them.“Why do you ask that?”orGladio and Prompto have difficult discussions with their kids.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum
Comments: 15
Kudos: 67





	empty

“Papa, whats an empty?”

Gladio is doing the dishes in the kitchen, separated from his family in the dining room by a half wall, as Prompto helps their four year old daughter with homework. It’s not even  _ homework  _ really, just reading exercises. But Prompto enthusiastically helps, just like he did with their older daughter, Elysia, who’s hidden in her room somewhere away from them. Gladio shakes his head, something about fifteen year olds muttered under his breath. 

“Empty means when something doesn’t have anything inside of it. So this bowl” Prompto empties a fruit bowl in front of him and Amaya giggles “is empty now!”

“No papa, i know what  _ empty  _ means, I mean Em Tee” 

Gladio drops the dish he’s cleaning into the sink and it shatters, as he suddenly realises just  _ what  _ she’s asking them. 

“Why do you ask that?” 

Prompto is deflecting, a slight undertone of panic cutting into his voice as he tries to avoid going down that rabbit hole, but Amaya’s hesitance to respond is evidence enough that she knows something is wrong. 

“Please don’t be mad papa” Gladio turns to look at her now, small and quiet next to Prompto, looking down as her feet absently kick the air “but some of the kids said you were Em Tee and I got really mad, I said you weren’t empty and they laughed” she lets out a little whimper “I was brave and I didn’t cry but the teacher didn’t do  _ anything _ and I don’t know why they were mean”

Gladio and Prompto lock eyes. They had never prepared for this. Elysia had never had the problem, and had only explained it to her recently. Gladio is surprised kids even know what an MT  _ is.  _ Gladio moves around the kitchen, taking up the space beside Prompto as they try to figure out how to begin.

“I’m not mad at you Amaya, I'd never be mad at you for asking questions.” Gladio wants to find every kid who made her feel like this, is ready to storm to the teachers house  _ now  _ and demand answers. They’re kids. “I’m so proud of you for being brave, you’re always so brave.”

Prompto is wringing his hands, and Gladio can’t stop spiraling. They don’t deserve this, after everything they’ve been through. Has Prompto not given enough to these people? Do they need more sacrifices? 

Gladio knows it's the parents, there's no way kids would learn it themselves that young. He’s devastated. Names still hold some weight in the new world, but people always found fault in  _ Argentum  _ over Amicitia. 

“Amaya, you know daddy and I fought with King Noctis right? To bring back the light?” she nods, hesitant. “Well, a lot of things happened. We had to fight a lot of different things, and we used to fight things called MTs”

Gladio wants to leave, he wants to scream, he wants to cry. He hates this, he hates that every moment of his husbands life needs to be justified. He wants to hold Prompto and never let go, never let anyone hurt him. 

They shouldnt have to explain this to her when she’s so young.

“They were kind of like robots, and they came from Niflheim. When I was a little baby, someone saved me from Niflheim too. I was brought to Insomnia and raised by my dads, but no one knew much about where I was from.”

Amaya listens, patient as ever, and Gladios heart breaks all over again. She looks like him, all Gladio can see is himself in her, and he wonders what it would be like if Prompto could see himself in their kids too. Elysia was adopted, more out of pure coincidence than anything else. She just showed up in their lives, right after they’d lost Noctis, after everything, a scrappy kid who had not known life with the sun. she had nowhere to go, so nowhere turned into them. 

Prompto always wanted to adopt, he knew what it was like, and he couldn't have kids anyway. Amaya and Elysia are the best things in their lives, no matter how they showed up. Prompto feared he would burden them with being their dad, but Gladio knows he was meant for this.

“So, when we got to Niflheim we found out how they made those robots, and I was supposed to be one. I was saved before it was finished, but that's why I have this!” Prompto lifts his wrist, the barcode on display. “I’ve had it my whole life. I didn't know what it meant till then. But it didnt bother Noctis, or Uncle Ignis, and it didn’t bother your dad, so it didn’t bother me.”

Amaya investigates his barcode, grabbing at Promptos wrist and turning it over. She’s so determined, so curious, she wants to learn everything there is. Prompto is the strongest person Gladio knows, and Amaya got that from him for sure.

“Youre not empty then?” Prompto nods and tries to smile at her, but its strained. Gladio just watches, a hand on his husbands back and trying his best to be okay. “The kids were still being mean when they called you Em Tee, but youre still my papa.”

Gladio is the one fighting back tears now, and Prompto is lifting Amaya into a hug. 

“I think thats enough for tonight, are you ready for a bath?” 

Amaya cries out in an over dramatic no as Prompto carries her away, and Gladio has a minute to compose himself. It doesn't get easier.

“Dad?”

Gladio will lie and say he didn't jump at Elysia’s voice, but he isn't a great liar. 

“Jesus El. You're giving me grey hairs”

She laughs, but her heart isn't in it. She normally loves stupid jokes, but Gladio thinks she heard the conversation with Amaya.

“You okay Ellie?”

She wraps her arms around herself, tries to seem smaller. It's not like her, to seem smaller. Elysia has always been her own version of whatever the hell she wanted. 

“The- the kids at my school are doing the same. I think one of the parents said something, and it trickled down. I didn't think it’d get to Amaya.”

“Why didn't you say something? El, you don't have to hear that shit”

Elysia hesitates, deciding on the words. Gladio can see the wheels turning, and normally she’s quick to talk, so he’s concerned.

“I did threaten to break a guys kneecaps for it, so I thought i’d be okay.”

Ah, that was the hesitation. Gladio knows he should probably discourage her, that violence isn't the answer, but sometimes he thinks it's better left unsaid. 

“If you want, theres a parents meet up thing soon and you can show up and fuck with all of them” Gladio makes a noise at the swear word, as if he doesnt curse like a sailor, but Elysia continues. “I can point out the worst ones and I can let the air outta their tyres” 

Gladio laughs, and he thinks that they’re doing a good job with these kids. Those assholes deserve it.

* * *

Gladio cries when he gets into bed that night. He walks up to it, Prompto sitting up and reading with his dorky glasses, because falling asleep with contacts sucks, and Prompto smiles at him like he always does, like he’s the light of his life. Gladio gets under the sheets, Prompto putting his book down, and he just lets go. Prompto curls around him, like he always does, and he lets Gladio cry. 

He has never let other peoples opinions of his family affect him, not really. All that has ever mattered to him was protecting them, raising his kids right and loving them. It feels like he’s failed them somehow, that Gladio somehow allowed this to happen because he didn't try hard enough. He knows its stupid, but Amaya had sounded so fragile. So hurt. 

They called Prompto  _ empty.  _ Prompto, who lights up every room he enters, who sings at any chance and teaches his daughters math while they laugh. Prompto, who has loved everyone in his life with his whole heart, gives everything and then some to the people who matter. Prompto has done more than enough.

“Hey Gladdy, its okay, come on honey” Prompto is rubbing his back, comforting circles as he cries too. “It’s alright. We’re all safe.”

Gladio realises his grip is too tight, white knuckled and agonising. He feels a twinge of guilt, but he can’t stop shaking.

“I’m so angry Prom” he’s cradling his husband's face, his lifeline, his sunshine. “She was so sad. They’re kids and they’re saying that shit just cos their parents are assholes and they don't know any better-”

Prompto wipes at his face, removing tear tracks before he kisses the corner of Gladios mouth. It's intimate, it always has been, and Gladio shakes less. 

“We can’t change it. As much as i want to, we can’t do it. Amaya is smart, and El can absolutely fend for herself, so we’ve done what we can for them. What we can do is bust into some offices tomorrow and have some  _ words.” _

Gladio laughs, and Prompto sets out a plan to make the people who let this slide wish they'd never been born. It may involve phrases like “war heroes”, crownsguard uniforms, and a reminder of exactly which MT they’re fucking with.

Gladio thinks that Noct would love this plan, and he wishes he was here to see it. Noct would love Elysia, see so much of himself in her. He hopes he’s proud of them, of the life they’ve built. He didn't sacrifice everything just for Prompto to get shit for things out of his control, but he sure as hell did it so they could cause the biggest shit storm over it.

They have a good life.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hello this is my first promptio and ive been trying for years to write gladio but im bad at it 👉🏻👈🏻
> 
> thanks for stopping by, this was written late at night and i love themst. kudos, comment and all that jazz
> 
> twitter: pitiossruins


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